Children's home run by Arc-HD Services Ltd in Eastleigh

Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 1 SC420410 Registered provider: Arc-HD Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care and accommodation for up to three young people, male or female, between the ages of 9 and 18 years with attachment difficulties, social, emotional and behavioural issues and/or mental health difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 9 September 2019.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 21 January 2021 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 29 October 2019

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 2 Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/04/2019 Full Good 07/08/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/06/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Children at the home build trusting relationships with carers. This helps them to share worries and build confidence that adults will support them to make progress. Children make progress in their emotional well-being.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children move into and out of the home in a planned way. One child recently returned home to live with family. This was a positive reunification. Carers continue to stay in touch. This helps children to maintain important relationships and learn that change can be positive.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint. When a child makes a complaint, this is treated seriously and investigated thoroughly. Leaders and managers acted on advice from one child suggesting changes to the complaints procedure to create a more child-accessible process.

p.4

improvement to be good

Carers seek and listen to children’s views. They actively encourage children to engage in decisions and plans about their future. Carers know the children well and enjoy spending time with them. However, the balance of promoting children’s emotional well-being while still challenging them to achieve their potential is currently not being managed well. Expectations of what children can achieve are not consistently high enough.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children make varied educational progress at the home. One child, who was a reluctant school attender, now has very good attendance and is making excellent progress. Other children in the home rarely attend school or college. Leaders and managers liaise with schools, colleges and the virtual school head to identify courses that meet children’s needs. However, carers lack the confidence and skill to provide meaningful education at home while attempts at transitions to formal provisions are taking place. This means that children experience significant periods with limited or no formal learning.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home provides children with large individual spaces that they can personalise. However, leaders and managers have not set high expectations for children with regards to how well these spaces are maintained. During the inspection one child’s area was in a poor state with rubbish, clean and dirty clothing and belongings covering the floor. Carers had not intervened as the child had objected to them entering their room. Another child’s clothing is stored in a cardboard box rather than a chest of drawers. One child’s lounge is full of belongings in carrier bags.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home lacks a homely feel. Some rooms require redecoration. Some furnishings are tired and need replacing. The configuration of the rooms means that there are limited communal areas that are cosy and welcoming. This makes it more Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 5 challenging for carers to encourage children to spend time with one another. Leaders and managers have plans to redecorate and refurbish the home.

p.4

improvement to be good

Carers offer healthy meals, but children frequently choose alternatives. Children mostly eat in their rooms. One child has an unhealthy diet and a history of eating difficulties. Carers do not accurately record what the child eats, so any significant changes that might be of concern could be overlooked. Another child eats very healthily but told the inspector that carers refuse to eat what they cook. This means some opportunities for shared experiences are missed.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children rarely go missing from home. When they do, the home has good procedures in place. Carers make every effort to locate children and use skilled techniques to persuade them to return home safely. Leaders and managers inform appropriate professionals to ensure that there is a coordinated approach to keep children safe.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home has good-quality risk assessments that are thorough and detailed. They provide clear guidance to staff, which means staff respond in a way that is tailored to each child’s individual needs. However, window locks are used in a child’s bedroom despite not being assessed within their care plan. When questioned by the inspector, the registered manager was unsure why or how long the locks had been in use.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children told the inspector that they felt safe and protected by carers. Carers are knowledgeable in safeguarding procedures and know how to act when a child is at risk of harm.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Restraint is rarely used. When it is used, it is proportionate. Recordings of restraint are detailed and thorough.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

A strength of the home is that carers help children to make sense of and manage their emotions. These skills are underpinned by expert psychological advice and support that is consistently available to the team. When significant incidents occur, there is good use of debriefs with children and staff. There is exploration of the child’s triggers, emotions and consequences. Learning takes place with carers, reducing further incidents.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Carers encourage children to take age-appropriate risks, such as using public transport and spending time out with friends alone. They also support children in learning skills that will help develop their independence.

p.5

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The home has a robust system for administration and storage of medication. Errors are rare. If this occurs, training is provided to carers and their competency is thoroughly checked. Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 6 Children’s health needs are met. However, one child used an unconventional, homely remedy prior to seeing a medical practitioner. This did not adversely affect the child.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that the home has a stable and committed team of carers. Carers have access to good-quality training that is tailored to ensure that they can meet the changing needs of the children. Leaders and managers provide regular, useful and reflective supervision to the team.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruitment processes are thorough and ensure that only suitable adults work in the home. When agency staff are used, the registered manager ensures that they are known to the children or are supported by familiar carers.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager liaises well with other agencies. They escalate concerns effectively and challenge plans that do not meet the needs of children. They support families to better meet children’s needs during visits. A family member told the inspector, ‘They pointed me to training for managing teenagers. They helped me fill in the forms. They are supportive and have helped me to manage her. I have learnt a lot from the carers.’

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager acts appropriately when allegations against adults are made. Appropriate professionals are kept informed, and carers and children are supported.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is well respected by carers, and carers report being well supported by them. Professionals speak highly of the home and the care the team provides. A local authority social worker told the inspector, ‘The team is always good at communicating with me and attend all of the meetings. They manage risks really well.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 7

p.6

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to the use of window locks on children’s bedroom windows being discussed with the placing local authority and being fully assessed in the child’s plan. 1 February 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 1 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 8 This refers specifically to the condition of the home and ensuring that the children’s rooms are maintained to a clean and safe standard.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.8

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.8

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(viii)) 1 February 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.8

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.8

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that children have healthy diets and that when there are concerns about what a child is eating that accurate records are kept. 1 February 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 9

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child has a medical condition that is being treated with a homely remedy, this is with the consent of a person with parental responsibility and is reflected in their care plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should ensure that carers help children to eat healthily and ensure there are accurate recordings of the daily food a child eats, particularly when there are concerns around the child’s diet. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

p.9

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Arc-HD Services Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Arc H D Services, Wessex House, Upper Market Street, Eastleigh SO50 9FD

p.10

Inspector

Penelope Kutz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC420410 11 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.10

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11